But the downside is, unless you have room for an island, you are likely to face a wall (and face away from your guests) while preparing and cooking food. Whether this is an issue comes down to personal preference, so consider whether this will bother you, and whether a different layout might better suit your needs.

Saving that 6 inches can give you a bigger cabinet elsewhere. Naturally, a smaller washer also fills up faster, which means you can run a full load more often instead of waiting a day between washes or running the machine while only half full. For smaller households this can be a perfect option.